Make a Joyful Noise
0 comments | Posted by Steven Layson on 06 Nov 2010 in From Steve's Study ::
I wonder if you’ve ever been so happy that you want to sing? At one level, it’s not very “Aussie” is it? I mean, we’re supposed to be all “laid back” and ‘’relaxed” about everything; how could we ever get so excited that we burst into song? However, you don’t have to look too hard to find examples of it. If you’ve ever watched the scenes in the winners dressing room at the end of a football match, or indeed listened to the crowd when their team scores a goal, or been to a really uplifting concert, you’ll have seen it. When we get really excited (particularly when we are together), it seems almost natural to burst into song.
This was certainly the case for the writers of the bible. The Psalmists particularly, regularly exhort us to sing out with praise to God. For example: “Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!” (Ps 66:1,2); “How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!” (Ps 147:1); “Let Israel rejoice in their maker… let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him” (Ps 149:2,3); “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Ps 150:6).
In today’s passage from 2 Samuel 6, David was leading the procession that brought the Ark of the Covenant into the city of Jerusalem. He was so overjoyed that he couldn’t help himself, he just had to dance and sing. (2 Sam 6:14,15) There were some (including one of his wives – Michal) who castigated him for such a show of emotion, but he would have none of it. He was determined to “celebrate before the Lord” (6:21).
I wonder if you ever have this reaction when you are singing God’s praises in church? Are you ever so blown away by the power, majesty, love and mercy of God that you cannot keep yourself from singing out? When you sing in church, is it merely a duty to perform (something to endure), or an outpouring from a heart moved with joy and thankfulness?
Sometimes in church we can fall for the cultural lie that we shouldn’t get carried away by our emotions. Our singing can become lifeless because we won’t allow ourselves to ‘feel’ the emotions the songs profess.
But whether it’s “tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord”; or “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound”; or “the splendor of the king, robed in majesty, let all the earth rejoice”; or “we’re singing for the glory of the risen king”; our songwriters (old and new), have given us wonderful material to draw forth from us the praise that is due to our God.
So when you’re singing in church this Sunday (or any for that matter), let the words really impact your heart so that you will sing and make a joyful noise to the Lord.
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